Quiz: Why the fluoride?

You already know how important it is to brush and floss every day -- or at least we hope you do! Chances are, the water you use to brush your teeth is fluoridated by your municipal water company. Do you know why? Find out how much you know about fluoride by taking this quiz.

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Question 1 of 21

Researchers noticed that towns with a higher level of natural fluoride in the water supply had a lower incidence of what?

gum disease

cavities

Researchers found that people who lived in towns with high levels of natural fluoride in the water supply had a lower incidence of cavities. This discovery was first noticed by a dentist in Colorado in 1901.

periodontitis

Question 2 of 21

True or false: Fluoride in water is only effective for children, whose teeth are still developing.

True

False

False. Fluoride in the water is beneficial for children, but also for adults -- helping to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities.

Question 3 of 21

What is the cost of water fluoridation per person in the United States?

31 cents

It costs a mean of 31 cents per person in the United States to provide fluoridated water, in communities of 50,000 people or greater.

55 cents

18 cents

Question 4 of 21

When researchers in Boston began giving large doses of fluoride to rats, the female rats' offspring had what problem?

blindness

cancer

cognitive deficits

Pregnant rats, when given large doses of fluoride, gave birth to babies with cognitive deficits.

Question 5 of 21

Fluoride protects teeth by strengthening what?

roots

gums

enamel

Fluoride helps prevent cavities by strengthening the enamel, the hard covering on the tooth.

Question 6 of 21

Community-wide water fluoridation began in what year?

1956

1973

1945

In 1945, Grand Rapids, Mich., became the first community to implement municipal water fluoridation.

Question 7 of 21

Fluoridated water helps reduce tooth decay over a person's lifetime by how much?

15 percent

25 percent

Studies show that fluoridated water can reduce tooth decay over a lifetime by 25 percent.

30 percent

Question 8 of 21

True or false: Overexposure to fluoride in adults can lead to bone fractures or bone pain.

True

True. In adults, overexposure to fluoride can lead to potential for increased bone fractures as well as bone pain.

False

Question 9 of 21

Every dollar invested in adding fluoride to water saves how much money in community dental costs?

$38

Every dollar invested in fluoridating water saves about $38 in future dental costs.

$125

$57

Question 10 of 21

The U.S. Public Health Service currently recommends which range of fluoride in water?

0.1 to 0.7 milligrams per liter

0.10 to 0.16 milligrams per liter

0.7 to 0.12 milligrams per liter

Currently, the U.S. Public Health Service recommends the amount of fluoride in the water range from 0.7 to 0.12 milligrams per liter. However, this amount may soon be lowered to just 0.7 milligrams per liter.

Question 11 of 21

Some chemists point out that the toxicity of fluoride in water at one part per million is equal to that of what?

cyanide

arsenic

Some chemists have stated that the toxicity of fluoridated water at one part per million is equal to that of arsenic.

BPA

Question 12 of 21

How much toothpaste is the safest amount to use?

pea-sized

The recommended amount of toothpaste you should use is a pea-sized amount.

nickel-sized

pinkie-sized

Question 13 of 21

Tooth decay is caused by what?

saliva

bacteria

Tooth decay is caused by bacteria in the mouth that eats away at enamel, allowing cavities to form.

oxygen

Question 14 of 21

True or false: Fluoride occurs naturally in water.

True

True. Fluoride is a mineral occurring naturally in nearly all sources of water.

False

Question 15 of 21

The process by which fluoride can prevent or reverse tooth decay is known as what?

carieing

enameling

remineralization

Fluoride prevents or reverses tooth decay through a process called "remineralization," where it rebuilds tooth enamel.

Question 16 of 21

True or false: Fluoridated water causes cancer.

True

False

False. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that fluoridated water causes cancer.

Question 17 of 21

The United States fluoridates more than 60 percent of its water supply, whereas Canada fluoridates about how much of its water supply?

40 percent

Canada fluoridates less of its public water than the United States, coming in at around 40 percent.

70 percent

80 percent

Question 18 of 21

Little white specks on the teeth are part of a condition called what?

gingivitis

dental fluorosis

Dental fluorosis exhibits via small white specks on the teeth and is caused by overexposure to fluoride.

periodontitis

Question 19 of 21

What is the best way to prevent cavities?

rinsing with fluoride

using an electric toothbrush

brushing and flossing

An electric toothbrush is fine and so's a rinse, but the best way to prevent cavities is simply to brush and floss every day, to remove harmful bacteria from your teeth.

Question 20 of 21

True or false: The rate of water fluoridation may decrease over the years.

True

True. As more products containing fluoride hit the market, fluoridated water may not be as necessary as it once was.

False

Question 21 of 21

Adding fluoride to water so that the level reaches one part fluoride per one million parts water is called what?

fluoridation

Fluoridation is the process of adding fluoride to water so that the level reaches one part fluoride to one million parts water.